The idea is that the watch would look exactly like a mechanical
watch while you're wearing it, but you'd be able to flip your
wrist to see a small screen that's embedded into the band. Called
the e-Strap band, the wristband can deliver notifications and
syncs with an app to display basic health data like step
tracking.

It's being marketed as a smart strap for the company's existing
watches, which would prevent the company's current customers from
ditching their Montblanc watch for an Apple Watch or Android Wear
device. The strap will also come installed on some of Montblanc's
upcoming Timewalker Urban Speed watches.

It doesn't come with advanced health-related sensors like the
Apple Watch, Moto 360, and fitness trackers, but it'll be able to
at least tell you how many steps you've taken during the day. As
is the case with most smartwatches, it'll connect to your phone
via Bluetooth and you'll be able to control music playing through
your phone with the watch strap.

The strap itself is made of high-end leather that has a carbon
fiber texture, as A Blog To Watch described it, and is made in
Florence, Italy. It'll likely come in different colors, too.

Based on Montblanc's renders, it looks like the tiny screen
blends nicely with the watch strap, but it's unclear exactly how
attractive the watch will be until we see it in person. There's a
chance it'll look a bit larger or bulkier when it's on your wrist
than the renders show.

Something similar happened with Motorola's Moto 360. When the the
watch was announced, generated some buzz since it was among the
first smartwatches to come with a round touchscreen display. It's
still one of the best-looking smartwatches out there, but we
couldn't tell how thick it was and how large it looked when
wearing it until our review unit arrived.

It also seems a bit expensive for something that's being sold as
an accessory. Based on the product's description, it sounds like
it does less than today's current smartwatches but costs
more.

Regardless of how the e-Strap looks and feels, it seems like it's
designed to appeal more to watch lovers than techies, which is a
notable difference from what's available today. It also shows
that mechanical watch makers are looking to compete with
companies like Apple to stay relevant.